Love at First Sight - By B. J. Daniels Page 0,33
the officers.
He noticed two other uniforms standing by and knew they’d been sent for him. Denny said nothing as he headed for the waiting police car. Jack followed, the uniformed cops right behind him.
JACK AND DENNY found Captain Brad Baxter pacing in front of his office window. He was an athletic-looking man in his early fifties with only slightly graying brown hair. He looked more like a former tennis coach than a police captain.
He motioned for them to close the door and sit down, his movements agitated and obviously angry.
“What the hell is going on?” he demanded the moment they’d taken the chairs opposite his desk, the question shouted at Denny. “I find out you have a witness then hear that you almost got her killed in some unauthorized surveillance?”
Jack said nothing, knowing Baxter would get to him in due time.
Denny quickly filled Baxter in on what had happened.
The captain walked to the window, his back to them. “You saw the car that almost ran down your witness? Was it Vandermullen’s?”
“As far as we know, he was on foot. The car was a large, dark, American-made sedan with tinted windows. That’s all we have.”
“So you can’t be sure Vandermullen has anything to do with the murder, right?” Baxter asked turning around to glare at them. “Did anyone get a license plate?”
“The plates were covered with dirt,” Denny said.
Baxter swore. “What about Vandermullen?”
“I have an APB out on him.”
“What?” Baxter barked.
“At this point he’s only wanted for questioning. Our witness can place him at the Hotel Carlton the night of the murder.”
Baxter didn’t look happy to hear that. “You take this slowly, carefully,” he warned Denny. “Dr. Vandermullen is a powerful man in this town.”
Denny had been right. Baxter was acting more paranoid than usual about the case. Was it just because the victim had been Dr. Vandermullen’s wife?
“What about this woman?” Baxter asked, this time looking at Jack. “Is she a reliable witness?”
Jack nodded.
“She saw Vandermullen at the hotel Saturday night, but says he wasn’t the man she saw with the murder victim,” Denny said.
“Can she ID the man she saw with Liz Jones?” Baxter asked.
“Yes.” Denny shot a look at Jack, daring him to disagree. “That’s why she put the ad in the paper. She’s determined to find him before he finds her. He also saw her that night and it appears he called her from the hotel following the murder.”
The captain had the look of a man who’d missed a good party he should have been invited to. “It seems you’ve been doing a lot of investigating on your own. Why is that?”
Denny glanced over at Jack. “Everything happened so fast. When I got on a lead I just followed it.”
Baxter nodded, obviously not liking it.
“We have another meeting set up this evening at the carousel with the second respondent from her ad,” Denny added hurriedly.
Baxter shook his head. “I don’t want her life at risk again, Kirkpatrick.”
“No, sir,” he said quickly. “She’s in protective custody with the men you sent for her. But even if she is released from the safe house after her psychiatric evaluation, we’re planning to use a decoy at this second meeting, take photographs of the suspect that we can later show Ms. Sutton and keep a tail on the suspect.”
“No more foul-ups,” Baxter ordered. “You make sure nothing happens to that woman. I want her guarded at all times and I want to know when Dr. Vandermullen is picked up. And Kirkpatrick, I don’t want you sneezing without me knowing about it.”
Denny nodded and got up to leave, Jack right behind him.
“Not you, Adams,” Baxter snapped. “And Kirkpatrick? Wait outside my office. I’m not through with you yet.”
JACK SAT BACK DOWN across from Captain Baxter’s desk as the door closed after Denny.
“What the hell are you doing getting involved in this investigation?” he demanded. “I ought to fire you and have you thrown in jail.”
Baxter could do it, too, Jack thought. “Captain, take me off probation, put me on the case. Let me come back and work it.”
“Do I need to remind you that you are on probation because I don’t like your attitude, Adams? Do you really think I would put you on the case after you have compromised the investigation? Not on your life. As of this moment, you’re suspended. I want your badge and your gun.”
Jack shouldn’t have been surprised. Baxter had been bucking for this from the first day he’d taken over the department. Jack knew he rubbed